Styles of Furniture in History

Welcome to the Furniture Styles's collection of essays and
pictures on the history and development of the enduring traditions,
periods and eras of home furniture styles from around the world,
both major and minor.

Uses and Meaning

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "furniture" as "movable
articles in a room.... that render it fit for living or working".
It's basic uses are:

storage;

sitting or reclining;

to provide flat surfaces on which to dine, write, etc.

In the multitude of design styles for furniture from chairs to
sofas to desks, however, since ancient times to the contemporary
era, furniture design and making has been an expression of culture
and civilisation, of how we view the world and how we think it
should be ordered, moving it above and beyond the merely functional
aspect.

Furniture is all around us, taken for granted, and its real meaning
can be obscured and then lost. This site seeks to open the eye
and reveal furniture once again to us as one of the fine arts,
as an expression of human genius and beauty.

The European & American Traditions

European
furniture design styles and North American
furniture styles generally follow the main splits and divisions
in European and American culture, principally the historic interaction
and struggle between the Classical view of life and the Romantic
as can be seen in the history of English
furniture.

Classicism & Romanticism

Most period or pre-modern furniture can be defined as either
Classical or Romantic in design and meaning.

Classicism, rooted in ancient
furniture times and echoed weakly in the medieval
furniture period, in relation to the history of furniture
design, is symmetrical in lines, serious and grand in aspect,
rigorous and balanced in construction. The archetypal Classical
furniture is that of the seventeenth century Baroque style.

Romanticism, in contrast, urges on us joyfulness, passion, humor,
and movement. The eighteenth century Rococo style of furniture
is the finest expression of the Romantic view in the realm of
home decor.

Oriental Furniture

The story of the Asian furniture world is in sharp distinction
to the European. Over a great many centuries styles of design
changed little until contact with the Western world ensued.

Chinese & Japanese

Overwhelmimgly dominant in importance here are the Japanese,
minimalist, and the Chinese, ornate, traditions and styles which
have had considerable influence on Western designers.

Furniture Styles

This historical look at furniture making, art and design is an
attempt to relate the meaning of furniture styles and history
to the present day needs of home furnishings and decor, to acquaint
the reader with the knowledge and understanding required to accurately
express her own tastes in furniture. We hope you enjoy it.